Clutch.



F. PALMITER.

ULUTUH.

I APPLICATION FILED IEB. B, 1911. 1,010,682. Patented Dec.5, 1911.

M 12 O 1 o *2 2 W1 5 f 9 0' 2.2 T X TNESSES: .FkAN/(PAfM/TER NYE/V7019.

BY I 40%.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK PALMJZTER, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO INDIANA ANCHORFENCE QCO OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

cLU'rcH.

Specifieation cf Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1 91 1 Application filed February 8, 1911. Serial No.607,259.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK 'PAmu'reR, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State'ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to friction clutches, and is more particularlydesigned for use in connection with the driving gear of automobiles, andthe object of the invention resides in the provision of means wherebythe clutch will be quick and positive in its action, as well as simpleinstructure and operation.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of meanswhereby a quick separation of the friction members is obtained, in orderto overcome the tendency of friction members to adhere for a'space oftime, due to various causes, after the control lever is shifting fordisconnecting the clutching members.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of myinvention, Figure 1 is a central sectional view, partly in elevation,and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line :vx of Fig. 1.

The clutch or coupling, as is customary, controls the transmission ofpower between two shafts, 1 and 2, one of which is the driving and theother the driven member. The driving shaft 1 is attached to the web 3,of a fly-wheel 4, by means of bolts passing through a flange on theshaft and through the web, as shown. Located on one side of the web, andpreferably formed integral therewith, is a cylindrical shell 5, which,with the wcbforming a closure for one end, and a cap closing theopposite end, forms an inclosed casing for the clutch members.

Mounted upon the driven shaft 2, is a metallic disk6, which is heldagainst relative angular movement by a spline 7. seated in a groove inthe shaft and extending into a similar groove in the hub of the disk,so. as to permitrelative longitudinal movement thereof. A fiber orcomposition 'disk 8 is interposed between'the disk '6 and-the end of thecasing, and a similar fiber disk 9 is interposed between the disk 6 andthe flat surface of a thrust ring I). which latter has a doublecone-shaped concaved formation on its opposite surface when viewed incross section. with an annular groove 11 formed therein. as plainlyshown in the drawing. The end of the shell 5 is closed by a cap l2,which has a threaded engagement with the shell, or which may be lockedin engagement therewith in any other suitable manner. The cap 12- isprovided with a cone shaped concavcd inner surfare l3, complemental tothe conc-shaped concaved surface of the adjoining thrustring l0. Mountedupon the shaft 2 so as to have relatively longitudinal, but notrelatively lateral movcmeat, is a sleeve 14, provided with a flangedinner end 15, against which a ring 16 is held by an expansion spring 17.The ring 1(1 is ivotal connection with the wcd c-blocks 2 disposedbetween the conc-shapml surfaces of the thrust ring 10 and the cap l9.Each wedge-block is providcd with a groove 21, of an angle correspondingwith the angle of the annular groove ll. in the thrust ring, whereby thetonguev 22 formed on each wedge block will have engagement with thegroove ll, and the overlapping edge 2?, of the thrust ring will enterthe grooves 2'1 in the wedgeblocks, whenever the latter are drawn towardthe center by actuating lhc sliding sleeve 14, with which an operatinglcvcr (not. shown) is connected in the usual manner.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that, uponshifting the. sleeve 14 inwardly, the wedge-blocks will cause the thrustring to shift and bring the fabric disks, the interposed metallic diskand the end of the casing, all into binding engagement, and by theirfrictional adherence impart motion from one shaft to the other. By anoutward movement of the sleeve 14, the wedge-blocks will be drawn towardthe shaft, and in so doing the slightest movemcnt. thereof, owing to theangular tongue and groove connection between the same and the thrust.ring, will positively retract the latter and, thus overcome the tendencyofthe disks to adhere for a'spacc of time after the lever is thrown torelease the same, which is due to the rubbing and heating of. therelatively rotating parts while under pressure, and the adhesion of oiland the "formation of a vacuum between the disks. V Having thusdescribed my inventiomwhat is claimed is 1 In a clutch, the combinationwith a driving and a. driven member, of a thrustmember, wedge membershaving a sliding interlocking connection with said thrust member forpositively shifting the latter in either direction,- and means foractuating the wedges.

2. In a clutch, the combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft,of a thrust member, frictional engaging means therebetween, wedgeshaving a tongue formed thereon at an angle to their direction of movesment for engagement with a groove in the thrust member, wherebyrelatively lateral movement of the wedges will positively shift thethrust member longitudinally of.

the driven shaft in either direction, and

means for operating the Wedges.

3. In a clutch, the combination with driving shaft and a driven shaft,of athrustmember, frictional engaging means therebetween, wedges havingatongue, ;nd groove connection with a tongue and groove on the thrustmember, said tongues and grooves being disposed at anangle to thedirection of movement of the wedges, a sleeve slidable on the drivenshaft, and toggleconnections be-' W. H. MACK, FLOYD A. DEAHL.

